The Great Dictator

Watching a film and Reading a film are two different ways. When we are watching film only for the sake of entertainment then it shows the aesthetics concern of literary art, and when we are reading films then theoretical approaches of literature helps us to make criticism of film. So, In this particular blog the writer's had taken a task to make the frame reading of Charlie Chaplin's movie 'The Great Dictator' through the lenses of Modernism.

Comedy is the best literary form to make satire or mockery of something. But, spreading a message with comedy and laughter is not an easy task. It demands a tremendous amount of work and critical thinking. And Charlie Chaplin as a comedian succeeded to deliver his message effectively.

The Great Dictator is one of his first movies with dialogues and Sound. It is a Political Satire designed with the reflection of comic elements. The film was written, directed, produced and starred by multidisciplinary expert Chaplin. The Film is also remembered for the historical significance. The film was also preserved by the National Film Registry of the United States in 1997, because….

"The film is being culturally, aesthetically and historically significant."

The film shows open condemnation of Anti-Semitism, Nazism and Fascism and support the struggle and desire of being free soul of Jewish Barbar, who wants the world where there is no descrimination, Every soul has Liberty and freedom to do what they want. The movie also successfully depicts the ill-treatment of Jewish people and cruelty of German officer's towards Jews during concentration.

'The Great Dictator'

This Image is the Shop of Jew. Now this particular frame demonstrates the Predominant Prejudice towards Jews. If we look at the historical context of why there is too much hatred towards Jews then we come to know that it is not Hitler who only hates Jews, But this kind of treatment towards Jews is from the Middle ages. You can see the below picture which is of 1353 - in which Burning of Jews is portrayed. They are blamed for the spread of The Great Plague in Europe which is also known as Black Death.

So, What this Frame explains is that, Tomainia is a country which is depicted in movies. In which if there is any shop of Jew then Authority overpowered that shop and can write that this is the Shop of Jew in a big 'Capital Words.' So, The movie try to condemned the very idea of Anti-Semitism.

In order to gain favors and acceptance, politicians tend to touch the soft corners of public which is children. Such political stunts are still relevant in today's time. Politicians knows the mass psychology and also know how to win people's heart. In order to collect vote majority they follow such practices. The face of Hynkel shows the hypocrisy of politics.

Movie Review : 'Modern times'

The social satire and slapstick comedy ‘Modern Times’ is written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin popularly known as Charlie Chaplin was a British comedian, writer, and composer who is well remembered for his Tramp character. Despite the numerous hardships and struggles woven throughout his life, Chaplin made the world laugh without uttering a word. He has significantly nurtured the form of silent film and transformed it into one of the prominent art forms. He is highly valued as the greatest comic artist and one of the most important figures in the history of cinema. Vachel Lindsay, the populist poet had described the greatness of Charlie by saying

“The cinema IS Chaplin”.

Modern Times

From the literary point of view, the film ‘Modern Times’ has minimum dialogues but the direction and screen depict a lot. The film encompasses under the genre of Modern Literature as it is experimentation with art. The tone is comic and tells a harsh fate and conditions to survive in an industrialized world. It is a classic comedy as it continues to capture attention and attract the audience till date. Chaplin portrays a factory worker, generous and thoughtful tramp and as the plot progresses he meets Gamin, an orphaned and poor girl and they encounter the hardships of surviving in joblessness, hunger for food and basic necessities.

As the film progress, one metaphor is used to depict the ‘Sheeple Mentality’ in modern days presenting the frame of a flock of sheep and comparing it with the people of modern times. On one hand, the flock of sheep requires one path leader so that the whole flock can follow similarly the humans are emerging from the subway. This is the novel idea of Chaplin says not to follow the crowd.

Chaplin was ahead of his time, he showed Gamin as the breadwinner of the family while the tramp was in jail, and she preferred to work for both of them. She is given a decent job of dancing in a restaurant and even she gets the tramp a nicer job. This is perhaps the masterstroke of Chaplin’s idea. But this steady job soon ends when the cops arrests Gamin. Chaplin truly has created a replica of the modern days.

The film ends in a symbolic way, it ends with dusk symbolizing hope with the following words.

We can consider this frame by looking at the sentence, "Big Brother is Watching You." This sentence from the novel 1984 by George Orwell is evident in today's highly pressurized surveillance of today's bureaucracy. This surveillance system can be seen as dictatorial ruling in society. Half naked, muscled man recieving orders from suited and booted official. This scene makes one think that mind power is greater than muscles power. Moreover, one can say that money power is more greater.

Protest and agitation by working class people to get liberty. Here Charlie is holding a red flag which is of communist party which is represented as protesting for the rights of workers. This also connects with Marxism.

Hence, it can be metaphorically said that Charlie Chaplin's 'Modern Times' is a mirror of years of the Great Depression. The film becomes more meaningful now than it was in the twentieth as it reflects the historical fact of the age as well as relates to a phrase which says 'The text is historical, and history is textual'.

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